Art exhibitions that you shouldn’t miss this month

by
Ayman ContractorJul 03, 2017

Don’t let the gloomy weather get to you – explore amazing artworks wherever you are in the country. We curated an array of options that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also urge you to think out of the box.

MUMBAI

Ponder about our cultural history

This exhibition takes us back in time with 30 exquisite paintings showcasing our lost culture and history that now only remains a memory in a variety of mediums. Fading Environments, Fading Cultures showcases how four young artists attempt to hold on to the fading histories and cultures that they should have inherited. Abhilasha Pandey, Krishnal Fulwala, Srinivas Pulagam and Rashesh Chauhan try to to come to terms with this loss in this exhibit.

Shahid Datawala, chief designer for Pallate - a furniture design store in Mumbai and two time EDIDA Winner is behind the exhibition Remains of the Day. The two series that make up the exhibition - Half Naked Nude and Unstill Life that are influenced by Datawala's ability to seek out the extraordinary amidst the trivial. Half Naked Nude is the product of the mixture of human habitation in the oil soaked sand along the Konkan coast during monsoon of 2015. Unstill Life, on the other hand, was created in a more domestic environment with Datawala discovering interesting compositions in objects around his home.

Rukshaan Krishna, a much esteemed name in Indian art unveils the Rukshaan Art Gallery, located smack in the middle of Mumbai’s cultural hub, between Kala Ghoda and Ballard Estate. This gallery has a unique take on the art landscape in India, devoting a few months each year to bringing in works from artists that will be displayed in the gallery for an exhibition 'undated'.

Tanya Mehta puts on third third solo show, The Unity of Opposites, which relates to the Latin coincidentia oppositorum, meaning the coincidence of opposites, where two elements are opposite to each other, yet dependent on each other for existence. Tanya works with new mixed media, exploring fine art prints, lenticular prints and animated light boxes. With the use of portals, circular imagery and various looping mediums to depict the infinity of the universe around us, we explore the narrowness of human perception through what we define as opposites but are, in reality, unified.

The internationally renowned artist, G. Ravinder Reddy makes a comeback in a decade, compiling a selection of 26 of his sculptures created through three decades of his career. Heads and Bodies, Icons and Idols shows the trajectory of his life as an artist, exploring the female form in the ‘80s and the evocative ‘Couples’ series embodying earthy communion between man and woman in the ‘90s. Out of the all of his sculptures, a large bronze sculpture entitled ‘Devi’ will be a permanent exhibit at the RMZ Ecoworld.

Bourne & Shepherd: Figures in Time displays 19th century vintage photographs by sourced from the rich photographic holdings of Museum of Art & Photography, Bangalore. This collection houses a range of landscapes, architectural views and portraits by the photographers Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd. A former bank clerk, Samuel Bourne is one of the famous of the early European commercial photographers, and the most prolific photographer of the picturesque tradition. Partnering with Charles Shepherd, a master printer, they set up their studio in Calcutta in the mid 1800s.

Delhi based Seema Singh Dua has showcased her new collection of sculptures in her solo show, Nurturing Hands at the Triveni Gallery. Deeply influenced by nature, her inspiration arises from a vision where nature agrees to blend and adapt a new form. For Seema Singh Dua, sculptures are not a medium to transfer your messages, but also a way of engaging in active dialogue. With this collection, she invites viewers to connect with nature and become more compassionate with ones surroundings.